Mold Screening & Testing
North Country Home Inspections provides mold screening and testing services for it's home inspection clients in Maine and New Hampshire.
Mold in housing has come to the forefront as an environmental
consideration for those buying a home, due to the negative health
effects as well as the ability of mold to damage buildings, resulting in
decreased property values. Mold growth can render a property both unlivable
and unmarketable.
Mold in housing is not a new thing! The biblical book of
Leviticus contains some of the earliest writings instructing how to deal
with mold in the home. The priests were history's first known mold
inspectors. Homeowners with mold growth on their walls were
instructed to scrape it off and then have the area checked by the
priest. If successive scraping or cleaning did not keep the mold
from coming back, the house was destroyed and the debris was dumped in
an "unclean place". This shows that the effects and
presence of mold in the home have been known for over 3,000 years.
Approximately 35% of all properties have water infiltration each
year. Of that 35%, 13% of the water comes from the interior of the
home (plumbing leaks, mostly) and 21% comes from the exterior (roof
leaks, poor grading, bad flashing, etc.). Of homes that are
inspected, approximately 70% of all homes exhibit a "red flag"
indicating water infiltration. Even more have conditions that are
not yet visible. Of the 50 million Americans having asthma or
allergic sensitivities, there is a high probability that many of these
cases are related to mold exposure in the home.
During the course of our home inspection, our inspectors will screen
for these "red flags" and if they exist, will notify the
client and suggest appropriate testing. There are a variety of
tests available to detect or quantify the extent of mold contamination:
Swab/Tape Testing: Whenever mold is visible, it is
appropriate to take a swab or tape sample to identify what types of mold are
present. Results from a state certified lab are usually
available within a few days.
Air Sampling: When "red flags" have been
identified but no mold has been observed, it is appropriate to sample
the indoor air in the room where a potential problem exists. The
outdoor air is also sampled to provide a comparative basis for
determining whether indoor mold spore levels are elevated.
Samples are sent to a state certified lab with results available
within a few days.
Carpet Testing: When no "red flags" have
been identified, and no mold is visible, it is appropriate to conduct
carpet testing. Carpet testing is useful because it can provide
"historical" data.. Mold spores, as well as other
contaminants, can find their way into carpet where they can remain for
extended periods of time. Carpet sampling can be a useful tool
to indicate conditions that may exist, or have existed, that may have
been covered up during preparing the property for sale.
Other testing methods exist which may be invasive or require extended
periods of time for laboratory analysis and therefore are not
appropriate for tests conducted for the purposes of a home inspection as
part of a real estate transaction.
After any samples taken have been analyzed, the laboratory will issue
a report indicating their findings and their recommendations.
For more information about molds, please consult the following links:
Mold,
Moisture and Your Home
NYC
Mold Guidelines
EPA Mold
Information
Mold testing is performed according to generally accepted industry
protocols.
Call 207-713-0675 for a quote.
